Landscape or portrait? It's all about software ergonomics

I agree with this post to a certain extent, but I think that the issue is much larger. iOS developers, and the iOS UI itself, are still strongly dependent on older, conventional design habits from the days of the PC and laptop. Take the on-screen keyboard, for example: why is it always at the bottom of the screen? When using a tablet, that's a pretty awkward place for it to be. I don't think a few pixels of space will make much of a difference, though. Rather than leave the keyboard down there then, as it was with traditional computers, just move it up to the top of the screen. You won't lose much in the form of screen real-estate, and you get a way more comfortable typing position. I actually mocked up an example of this on my blog just yesterday:

http://robulack.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/ipad-keyboard-inversion-idea/

The fact that the keyboard is still stuck below the target input area, and for no good reason other than tradition, tells me that even Apple's break-out technologies still hold too strong a dependency on outdated and outmoded technology experience models. True Apple thinks outside of the box, but clearly now far enough away from it.

Actually it's a problem with the Apple SDK. The splitView which powers the left and right pane views and thus also the pop up menu when in portrait does contain a method to allow the left pane to be visible in portrait mode too.

The problem is that method is a private API and so developers can't use it without being rejected by the review process.

The Human Inteface Guidelines, which all developers have to adhere to, does allow this behaviour though. The only way to achieve it is to write your own splitView implementation and not use Apples build in own one.

Great article, it's nice to see people concerned about ergonomics, keep your articles coming. I do think btw. that it's mainly Apple's fault. They set a very poor standard both in their own apps and their UI guidelines, and they should improve that by offering more ergonomically placed UI elements.

Apple did indeed a particularly bad job with the iPad, ergonomics-wise, but then again, it seems pretty clear to me that it isn't their top priority. I just hope more and more people demand more ergonomics in products and vote with their wallets.

Actually the flixster app is not ergonomic. Sure you can open it with a tap one the bar that takes up wayyyy too many pixels but you need to reach half way across the screen to close it and if you are in the DVD section and want to see coming soon instead of new releases then you have to reach to the top anyway. What is needed is a solution similar to activator on jailbreak...slide onto the screen from the black slides out the menu, no wasted space at all because no tab to touch. Slide back towards to black closes the menu. All menus must be scrollable so you can bring what you want to your finger instead of having to bring your finger to hat you want which currently they are not if you are trying to click the top item you need to move your hand. If a menu has multiple tabs on the top like my previous example they need to be accessible without moving your hand also which means once the menu is open if you continue to swipe I the open menu direction it scrolls through the menus without moving your hand. It's not hard to do if they cared about ergonomics they would have done more than a bar that blocks your screen

Personally, I agree with the portrait versus landscape position. I use my iPad almost exclusively in landscape mode; the only apps I consistently use in portrait mode are book readers.

Sorry but this is an appalling, even insulting article. Are you seriously suggesting that no one has ever previously thought to design an interface with any concern for efficiency or comfort?

You've taken a compelling observation and turned it into a vapid, ill-informed pontification about a subject that you clearly have no knowledge of, or even a genuine interest in.

The next time you feel the pressing need to preach about "software ergonomics" as though they are some new concept you've just discovered for the benefit of the rest of us, please instead contemplate the menubar sitting across the top of your Mac's display: it was placed there—over 25 years ago—after considerable thought and with very good reason.

I thought this was a pretty decent article. It follows that software developers would care about comfort and efficiency, especially with a focus in keeping you using their application. It also is reasonable to think that this is likely to become more important with the increased screen size of the iPad (relative to the iPhone).

"you'll need to move your entire hand just to tap the portrait view drop down menu button."

This is a complaint? Are Americans lazy or what...

More articles like this please.